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No More Panasonics
  • I have two GH2's. The first one had a white spot on the LCD appear a few weeks after I bought it. I didn't do anything about it for a month or so, then I called for warranty repair. I got the RMA number and sent it to them. I got a voice message and called them back. They just wanted to tell me they had received it and give me the work order number.

    Two weeks later (today) I called and first they said there was no such work order. I'm not known for my pleasant disposition, so after a brief discussion, they found the work order and said they were waiting for my proof of purchase. More discussion ad they found the proof of purchase. Then he said there was physical damage and the charge would be $325.00 to repair it and I needed to call Texas. I called at 11:06 my time and they aren't open yet.

    I'm going to tell them to send it right back to me in the SAME condition I sent it to them in. This is my last fucking Panasonic. At least Canon has always honored their warranties even if the IQ isn't as good.

  • 47 Replies sorted by
  • It's on it's way back even though they can't tell me what physical damage there was...only that there was physical damage.

  • a gh2 with white spot will be allways better than big fat overheating dslr with soft image and moire, get one of those camax 1280x800 field monitors and forget about lcd.. It could happen to anyone

  • @hedrox I agree and will use it with the white spot until it dies of old age. My second GH2 is still in the 90 day return window and is on it;s way back now. The issue isn't the LCD. I can live with no LCD on it. It's the warranty and scamming.

    Doing a search, the same story shows up over and over, They just do not honor the warranty. If it had been something legitimate (Like it was hacked, which I removed) I couldn't say much...but it wasn't. They said there was physical damage and there is NOT.

    An $800.00 GH2 is one thing but I was considering adding an AF100 which is a couple thousand more and I damn sure have no reason to think they will be any better with a warranty call on it.

    And I agree about the overheating DSLR's,,,,but there are a lot of companies competing for business and whatever I get as a replacement, it won't be a Panny.

  • Well, I had a G2 which fell really hard, body was also scratched. CPU board was broken but they placed an new cpu board without any costs...

  • I have good experience with Canon under warranty but once its expired, it's hefty to swallow a $350 charge.

  • @retrospective I always had good service from Canon too. Too bad their DSLR's don preform like the GH2. $350.00 isn't much harder to swallow than $325.00. The $325.00 charge pretty much puts it in the disposable category.

  • I got the "even if you drop it and break it, we'll either fix it or replace it" warranty from Samy's when I bought mine.

    But I'm also lucky, I live in LA, and the Panasonic service center is literally 2 miles from my house, and I have a long history with them, so I've never had a problem. I guess it's harder to give you shit when they have to deal with you face to face.

  • @shian I guess it's harder to give you shit when they have to deal with you face to face.

    That's the first good laugh I've had all day shain!

    I'm still pissed off. I love those little cameras. Anyway, I'll be sitting on my hands and using the one GH2 for a while. I'm not going to buy the AF100, IMO the BM is going to have problems with the first run and I ain't going back to Canon.

    I guess I'll get reacquainted with my camcorders.

  • $350 is almost the amount I paid for a new Gh2 body.

    BTW white spot on LCD? Did you attach LCD protective screen film? You'd need it on any camera nowadays.

  • @stonebat

    $350 is almost the amount I paid for a new Gh2 body.

    BTW white spot on LCD? Did you attach LCD protective screen film? You'd need it on any camera nowadays.

    Yep...I see them now and then for around $500 or so. Yeah, I did have protective film. I put on all the cameras with touch screens.

  • @peternap

    FWIW, the AF100 is part of Panasonic's broadcast division - the GH2 comes from the consumer division - completely different organizations, with completely different chain of commands. I personally have had no experience with the broadcast division, but everything I've heard about their service and support has been positive.

  • @Ralph_B Thanks Ralph! That may make a difference. All the Warranty stories I've read have involved consumer cameras. You can always find someone on the net bitching about something but in this case, it's always the same story, just change the name of the customer.

    Shian's idea about a 3rd party warranty from Sammy's is a good idea also.

  • Buy your own insurance. For all your gear. When something 'breaks' its cheaper to replace via the insurance.

  • @driftwood Real good advice and in fact my company insurance has riders on all my cameras and equipment.....except the GH2's. When I sold all the Canon's, I forgot to get new riders on the Pannys.

    That still doesn't change the fact that Panasonic is screwing people on the warranty.

  • I also support No Panasonics movement, as this guys still unable to make camera with proper color.

    Even Samsung can make one:

    image

  • You shouldn't do that to someone drinking coffee Vitaliy.

  • Good story - from the mouth of the ani-mule. One day there was a crabby panaflex camera on super fancy pants movie set. When they shot close ups it was too loud to capture laocation sound. Big stars, intimate scenes, as always...Camera over the db range! Crikey! The grinder manufacturator said it will be okay at that close of range. These cameras were grampas, eh, old units, rebuilt time and again mechanically. The belts, gears and gizzards that come out of film cameras - you want to use as wedding bands - they're works of art! Well the dop, as cool as ice on dry ice made a decision when the a cam came back from panavision and still the location sound was unusable, because of that noise. (what noise would that be?) sewing machine?

    So - he casually minced over to the dolly, pushed in the producer release lock button tipped the camera back against his chest as we would with a heavy baby. He motioned to the first to remove the glass, strided a few more steps to the nearest concrete structure then HEAVED the camera against it. Boomski!

    THis DOP is the producer's best friend. cameraman always have the biggest balls on the set, even when they are wimmins.

    "Do any of you hear that noise any more?", he asked. "No", the stars and crew said. Just Panny. The other Panny. This works. Go for it man. Be a man! There's more concrete there than here - I would bet my life on it.

    BTW - there's a restaurant called the "White Spot", Jeeze. What a bad name! Nobaody wants spots on there food or their screens.

    Pink cameras save loves! Don't knock them.

  • They save lives. Damn tha PV autocorrect. :) :( :{>

  • @bheath Just as long as my wife doesn't see it. It matches her Glock and she'll want one,

  • "Pink makes everyone horny". Fellini said that.

  • @bheath I ain't touching that one!

    Well, I backed up on the cameras. I can't find anything to replace the GH2 I returned that comes close to the Hacked GH2 specs....but I'm not gonna pay for a new camera if I'm not going to get a warranty.

    So I bought a USED GH2 today. I guess Panasonic will send my other one back next week.

    The AF-100 is still bothering me. I did find some old threads here (Search is not good) that pushed me away from getting it. There are some advantages like uncompressed HDMI, but at 5 times the price of a GH2, it just doesn't seem worth it.

    If the GH2's HDMI wasn't crippled I'd be in hog heaven.

    A USED GH2 and a black magic hyperdeck shuttle 2 would make life complete if it would work, but it won't even work on my XA1O.

  • @peternap The AF100 has everything the GH2 lacks (and vice-versa). Namely:

    • Synced XLR audio inputs with real dials and switches
    • Built-in ND filters
    • Multiple-speed slow-motion @ 1080p
    • 1080p50/60 with audio @ merciless upgrade cost
    • Electronic remote control of iris and focus
    • HDMI/SDI monitor output
    • LCD Waveform monitor separate from viewfinder
    • Adjustable pedestal and gamma curves
    • Built-in hinged eye-cup
    • Professional-looking demeanor

    The (hacked) GH2 has:

    • Fabulous motion picture quality
    • High-resolution still-frame photography
    • ETC digital zoom modes
    • Four Thirds system auto-focus support
    • Viewfinder focus-assist magnification
    • Optional touch-screen operation
    • Light-weight compact size
    • Sneaky stealth-shot capability
  • A secondhand AF100 is next on my buy list, I'm so invested in Pany lenses it's a cheap upgrade for a more Pro look. I have a soft spot for Pany Pro Division, I dunked my HMC150 in seawater 2 years ago, Pany replaced ALL the circuit board parts free, I only paid for labour and still honored the 3 year warrantee.

  • There don't seem to be a lot of second hand ones out there. Not even on Ebay. I found one and it's a little over priced.

    I really am on the fence about this, I don;t need it really but it would be useful and it's already paid for if I get it. (I set a percentage of each job aside for new toy....Equipment).